Hours of Darkness
by Glaicien Warrior
Summary: -Part 3 of the "Sands of Destiny" trilogy- After living 5 years of peace, strange things start to occur in Hyrule. And Link is always blamed for it! Can he find the source of the trouble, while maintaining peace in the kingdom, and his family?
1. Chapter 1

Hours of Darkness

This is the final installment of the "Sands of Destiny" trilogy! Please read part 1 (Sands of Destiny) and part 2 (Beneath an Amber Sky) before reading this one!

* * *

Raiquen rubbed the toes of his boot into the dirt and squinted past the glare of the sun. He held his sword firmly in his right hand and slightly shook his shield that strapped around his left arm. Looking up, he smiled slightly and shook his head.

"Just like Link," he muttered, "Always waiting for the first move."

His long hair swayed slightly in the breeze as he stared his foe down. Then he grinned and took a quick step forward, triggering the movement from the other side. Link darted forward, rolling to the side and caught Raiquen's blade with his own.

Raiquen spun on his heel to face his opponent just as Link rolled again to come up behind the boy. Thinking fast, Raiquen raised his arms behind his head and caught Link's blade just before it hit its mark. Spinning again, he shoved hard with his weapon and tried to catch Link off guard.

Link faltered slightly, but recovered quickly enough to catch Raiquen's blade in a dead-lock. The two pushed against each other, locked in a staring contest.

"What's wrong? Can't handle the pressure?" The boy grinned.

Link grinned and forced all his weight onto his blade, causing Raiquen to stumble backwards. Hopping to the ground and spinning, Link's boot caught the boy's legs and he fell to the ground. Link jumped back up to his feet and aimed his sword at the boy, panting slightly but smiling.

"You're just a rookie, kid." He spun his sword back around and sheathed it, then offered his hand to help Raiquen to his feet. Rolling his eyes, Raiquen stood back on his feet and dusted his tunic off.

"Yeah, well if I were using both of my blades, you wouldn't have had a chance." he said as he sheathed his blade. Link rolled his eyes.

"At age 21, you're the youngest knight in Hyrule...yet you still act like you did 5 years ago." Raiquen shoved him and caught Link in a head-lock. Thus triggering their daily wrestle.

"Oi! You two better quit the rough-housing and get in for breakfast, or there won't be any left!" Begonia's voice echoed across the courtyard. The two boys scrambled to their feet and raced each other past a startled Begonia and into the castle. Screeching to a halt in front of the kitchen, Link looked inside as Raiquen's feet skidded and he flew past the door and into a wall. Stomach growling, he strided right into the room and took a seat, laughing at Raiquen as he entered moments later - rubbing his cheek.

"So...how're you and that wall getting along?" Link chuckled. The boy glared at him and took a seat across from his Uncle. "Where were we? Ah yes..." Suddenly two left elbows were on the table and their hands were locked in an arm-wrestle.

A little voice piped up from Link's side. "Get 'im, daddy! Beat his bottom!" Link burst out laughing and lost his grip, causing his arm to crash to the table. Raiquen looked smug and leaned back on his chair as he crossed his arms behind his head.

"Great job distracting your daddy, little Aidyn!" The girl's head barely reached the top of the table as she glared across at her uncle Raiquen.

"My daddy is the best fighter in the whole world! He could-" She broke off into giggles as Link scooped her up and laid her on his lap, poking her nose with his finger.

"How's my little Aidyn today?" Link asked, kissing his daughter's forehead.

"I saw a butterfry! It went away dhough..."

"Oh really? What did it look like?"

Aidyn grinned and her excitement grew. "It was...it was red! Like Raiquen's hair! And then it went away...like whoosh!" she said, animating her hands and arms as she spoke.

Link laughed and put his forehead to hers. "I know where there's a whole flock of fairies! Navi can talk to them for us and perhaps they'll let us play a game of tag with them. How does that sound?" Her eyes grew large and she gasped.

"Oh wunderful, daddy! Can we go, pwease? Pretty pwease?" Lear was suddenly by their sides.

"After you eat your breakfast, little missy. Adventuring can wait."

Link greeted his wife with a kiss, gaining an 'ew' from both Aidyn and Raiquen. Begonia had now entered the room and she ruffled her son's hair.

"Come now, Raiquen, being a knight you should probably think about finding a wife soon..." Raiquen stood from his seat and left in a hurry.

"What's gotten into him?" Lear inquired. Begonia only shook her head and ran off to find her son. She caught up to him in one of the hallways that crisscrossed the castle's interior.

"Raiquen, slow down!" She huffed. "What's wrong?" He stopped and turned towards her with a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry...it's just that.." Raiquen sighed and brushed his hair from his face, "I'm starting to look more like Dad...and I don't think anyone is going to like me." he finished quietly.

Begonia chuckled and looked up at her son, "That's nonsense! You're a very handsome young man. Who wouldn't like you?"

He set his jaw and looked at the ground. Lately he'd seen Beth around the city with another knight, one who was constantly surrounded by friends and looked as if he could buy her anything she desired. He wanted to offer her the same and more, but felt like she would laugh in his face if he told her how he felt.

Begonia could read her son like a book, "Don't worry, whoever she is...she'll come around. Just you wait and see." Raiquen opened his mouth to speak, but closed it as he watched his mother walk away. Was he really that easy to read? He just let out a large breath and followed the hallway to a door that led to the outside.

Aidyn was already playing outside. "Hullo, Raiquen." She said while staring down at her hands. Raiquen raised an eyebrow.

"What have you got there?" He said as he walked over. A bird appeared in her little palms and hopped up and down, chirping cheerily. When the boy approached, it flew off in a flurry of excited chatter.

"You scared 'im. He said that you need to lurn some mahners." Raiquen furrowed his brow.

"Birds don't talk, Aidyn. Do your parents know you're out here alone?" Aidyn rushed to her feet and followed him as he headed towards the market. "Yes. Are you going to the market, uncle Raiquen? Will you bring me back sum birdseed?" He turned and bopped her lightly on the head with his hand.

"Yes, I'll bring you some birdseed. Stay here, okay? I'll be back in a while."

"M'kay. Bye Uncle Rai-Rai!!" she waved her arms after Raiquen, who now left the garden. He didn't even watch where he was going as he rushed through the crowds. He only had one thing on his mind, and it pestered him like an annoying mosquito. Quickly around the central fountain and through the eastern part of the market, he just kept going until he was stopped by a sudden thud and sounds of vegetables rolling on the ground.

"Ouch!! Watch where you're going, you...oh! I'm sorry, forgive me!" A young woman pleaded as she looked at Raiquen. He suddenly forgot that he was a knight and stared into the eyes of her...

"N-no, it's my fault, Beth." He kneeled down and helped her gather her things.

"Oh Raiquen! I didn't even recognize you...!"

He felt a moment of sharp fear. Did he look so bad that she couldn't recognize him? "Um, sorry. Here's your vegetables." She gathered her things into her arms and smiled at him, causing his heart to skip a beat.

"Thank-you, Raiquen!" There was a slight awkward pause. Raiquen cleared his throat uncomfortably then turned to go.

"Nice to see you again, Beth. I'll talk to you later."

"Wait! Are you in a hurry?" She said and stepped in front of him.

"Uh, no, not really..." He mumbled. She smiled again.

"Well, that's fantastic! Would you like to walk around with me for a while? I'd like to hear about how Link and the others are doing, including you."

Raiquen stammered slightly, "Uh…y-yeah!", he cleared his throat, "I mean, yes." Beth flashed him a smile, but before they could walk anywhere, a child's voice reached their ears.

"Uncle Raiquen!! Uncle Raiquen!" Little Aidyn ran through the crowds, and the Knight turned with a groan to see the little girl on the other side of the market, an excited smile on her features. Her path, however, was suddenly blocked by a figure in a cloak, and she bounced off the legs of the man and onto the ground.

"…ah, forgive me, child." The man spoke. His voice was like a dark silk. Mysterious and smooth. He scooped up Aidyn from the ground and turned to Raiquen and Beth as they found their way to them. Aidyn stared at the man; she could slightly see some features beneath the shadows of the man's hood, and she noticed that his hair was silver…or possibly purple? Her attention was quickly drawn to Raiquen as he approached them.

"Ah…is she yours?" Raiquen shook his head.

"No, she's my cousin--"

"My Daddy's name is Link! He's the best!" the girl chirped. The man handed Aidyn over to the Knight, "Link, hm? How…interesting. Well, I must be on my way. Take care…" And with that, he disappeared into the crowds. Raiquen stared after him for a moment, then turned to Aidyn.

"Aidyn, I told you to stay at the castle! You could've caused a lot of trouble, you know." The little girl wasn't paying attention to him. At the moment, she was talking to Beth.

"My, you've grown big, Aidyn! How are you? Keeping your cousin Raiquen on his feet?" Aidyn smiled and nodded.

"I call him Uncle Raiquen though. He's always teasing me, until my daddy beats the tar out of him." Raiquen felt his face burning hot as Beth laughed. He faked a chuckle and quickly covered Aidyn's mouth.

"That's enough, Aidyn...where did you hear that expression? It's not very polite."

Aidyn only giggled at her cousin. "I dunno...I can't 'member." The Knight groaned and looked towards the towering castle.

"Listen, Beth...I gotta take Aidyn home, so..."

"That's okay! I've got to get going as well, so maybe we can talk some other time?" She flashed her gorgeous smile at him once again, and he nodded his head. However, he was very disappointed, even though he got to see her. They turned their ways, and Raiquen rushed through the crowds with Aidyn in his arms.

"Rai-Rai?" No answer. "Uncle Raaaiiquen!" Aidyn wailed. Raiquen suddenly stopped in his tracks at the castle gate, where he finally let Aidyn walk on her own.

"What?" He asked, a little irritated.

"Are you mad?" He sighed and ran his hand over his face. He couldn't stay upset for long at the little girl as her blue eyes gazed up at him.

"No, I'm not upset. Just be a little more careful next time, okay? You could have been hurt." She nodded and put her hand in his. "He was funny." She said after a while. Raiquen thought for a moment.

"Who was funny?"

"That guy that I hit. He had funny hair and a funny way of talking. I think he's a wizard." Raiquen rolled his eyes.

"If he had been, then I think he would've turned you into a toad for running into him like that." They had entered the castle and continued to walk through the stone passageways.

"A toad?! I don't want to be a toad! A frog, maybe, but not a toad..." Aidyn looked thoroughly upset.

Raiquen smiled. "Why wouldn't you want to be a toad?" Aidyn looked at him like he was weird for not knowing.

"Well, toads are meany-heads. But frogs aren't mean." Raiquen laughed and ruffled her hair while she protested.

"What? It's true! The toads tell me that I'm a hairless pink monkey..." Raiquen was still chuckling.

"Toads don't talk, Aidyn. Now come on, let's find your parents before they determine my death sentence for catching you alone in the market." They passed several knights standing guard at random points in the castle, and Raiquen nodded to them and gave them a brief greeting as they walked by. He hoped that he wouldn't run into the knight that he'd seen hanging around Beth lately, as he sometimes had sentry duty at the castle. Aidyn, however, seemed perfectly care-free next to him as she stared wide-eyed at the knights that tipped their helmet to her.

"I wish I had a sword," she mumbled, "so I could fight like daddy..."

* * *

In the wake of the night, Link found himself to be restless with the thoughts of his nightmare still fresh in his mind. His nightmare was one that happened many years ago, but sometimes it would haunt him. The eyes of the one he killed...looking at him as if he had done a horrible cruelty...Link pulled himself from the covers and snuck out of the castle. 'Some fresh air will do me some good...' he thought to himself.

He walked across the courtyard and leaned against a stone pillar bathed in shadow. Barely a sliver of the moon barely shone high in the sky and he pulled his cloak tighter around his neck. Recalling the nightmares that had haunted him these last couple of days, he contemplated on what they could mean. Faces from his past and a growing darkness merged themselves together to make it impossible for him to sleep in peace. He turned his head as a Keese flapped off into the night from atop the stone archway he was standing near. Shivering slightly from the cold and his dark thoughts, he turned back towards the castle.

He stopped suddenly in his tracks as a wave of cold washed over him. Something had gone abruptly missing...as if he lost a piece of himself. He hugged himself and shook his head.

"It's probably just my imagination..." he sighed, "...stupid nightmares." A figure in the shadows watched the hero disappear into the castle...his quiet laughter flew in the wind.

"Missing something...yes, you are." he cackled, "Don't worry, you won't miss it." spoke the man from the market. His arm emerged from his cloak and his palm turned to the ground; a shadow grew and took shape on the grass.

The man watched with a smirk on his face as the shadow stood and shook it's head slowly, as if to clear it. It gazed around the courtyard and it's eyes rested on the castle for several seconds before it turned towards Vaati chuckling in the shadows.

"Not bad...not bad at all. You look just like your real self, those morons won't tell the difference." He chuckled again while the now-living shadow of Link glared at him.

"Who are you?" His voice was only slightly deeper than Link's.

"I am Vaati, and I used your counterpart's shadow to bring you to life. I can banish you away just as easily so let me make this clear: you listen to me and do what I say."

The shadow's eyes were slightly duller than his counterpart, and for a moment they flashed red as he grew angry with his "master". He crossed his arms and shrugged, small particles of shadowed dust floating from his clothing.

"Whatever. Now, what is it that you want me to do?" Vaati began to circle his creation, scrutinizing him and thinking of his capabilities. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and turned to Dark Link with a malicious grin.

"I want you to make Link's life miserable," at this, the shadow grinned with interest, "You have a bit of his memories…make good use of them."

* * *

A/N: What do you think? Please review!

This story is written by BOTH myself (Ganondorfs-Girl from DeviantArt) and Clairictures (also from DeviantArt), and we are both very excited to finally reveal part 3! More chapters are soon to come, so stay tuned!

**DISCLAIMER:**

_I do not own any of the Zelda characters, _

_however I DO own Begonia and Raiquen. _

_Clairictures owns Lear and Aidyn._


	2. Chapter 2

Lear awoke the next morning with the sun shining on her face. Her first impulse was to draw the covers back over her eyes, but she groaned lazily and pulled herself out of bed. She threw on her robe and glanced at the still-sleeping form of Link. 'I'll let him sleep a while more...' she thought as she shut the door behind her and walked to the next room to check on Aidyn. She, too, was still asleep, and Lear headed to the kitchen to begin to make breakfast. She walked quietly down the chilly stone hallways until she reached the kitchen, then set herself to work by lighting a small fire and getting out all that was needed to make a breakfast large enough for her family. She thought she heard somebody walking in the hallway outside the kitchen and walked over to the doorway to investigate.

"Link? I thought you were sleeping…" The shadow turned around and found Link's wife standing in the doorway, walking slowly to her as he contemplated what his move was going to be.

"I decided to wake-up. Is that a problem?" he stopped in front of her.

"No, that's fine-mmph!" Dark Link suddenly kissed her roughly, but didn't taste anything. He could sense her presence, but the sensory of taste and smell doesn't exist within a shadow. He let Lear free from his grasp, and before she could respond to his sudden embrace, he was already gone.

Lear stood in a state of confusion and blinked several times before she finally walked back into the kitchen and resumed making breakfast. Her mind was completely occupied by what had happened, and she was puzzled by how he'd acted, not to mention a little peeved. He seemed the same, but there was something different about him. Was he acting so strangely because of the nightmares that he'd been having? By the time breakfast was ready, Lear still couldn't figure out why he had acted in such a way. Raiquen was the first to show up as he stumbled through the kitchen door and nearly tripped on a nearby stool. He ran his hand over his face in an effort to wake himself up and walked over to Lear.

"'Morning. What's for breakfast?"

She broke her train of thought and turned to her nephew. "Hm? Oh, just the usual. You know, bacon and eggs...stuff like that." She handed him a plate and he departed for a table to scarf it all down like the early-bird and its worm. Lear however, returned to her thoughts, completely oblivious as to what's really going on.

Outside the castle, Dark Link was exploring his new surroundings; he was beginning to experience the daily hustle and bustle of the morning market, and he didn't like it much. First of all, the sun was a bit bright for his liking, and second, some child just ran into him.

"Get off of me, brat!" he scowled, shoving the kid aside as he barged through the crowds.

A frightened young Aidyn looked confused as she rushed out of the crowds and stared after the figure that she thought had been her father. He'd never said anything like that to her before, even at his angriest. Feeling suddenly alone in the hot market, she kept to the shadows as she dashed back to the castle grounds. She ran through the courtyard, her mind still confused at what had happened, when she ran into yet another person and fell hard to the ground. Raiquen turned around with a look of surprise and picked her up in a hurry.

"Aidyn! You've really have to look where you're going when you're running that fast. I swear, you'll-what's wrong?" He said as he saw her face. She looked completely bewildered and was twiddling with her fingers, although she was completely quiet and seemed to be lost in thought.

"Rai-Rai...is Daddy mad?" the girl asked, her bottom lip beginning to quiver.

"Nah, he's just a little sleepy. So much that he's still asleep!" Aidyn looked up at this, even more confused than before. She, however kept quiet and nodded her head in reply. The older cousin kissed her forehead and carried her inside.

An orange flew through the air, landing in Dark Link's hand. He had easily stolen it from the fruit stand in the market, and he stood in the shadows, tossing his round prize in the air. Truthfully though, he was actually taking a break from being in the harsh light. The light punctures his persona, gradually causing him pain the longer he's exposed to it.

"Strange thing." He muttered. "I don't see the value in this...'orange'" He looked around at the crowded market again and glared. "I don't see the value in any of this, either." He considered a moment, then chucked the orange as hard as he could and laughed from the shadows as it hit an unfortunate merchant down the alley on the head, causing the poor man to yell with pain.

"Having fun?" An icy voice suddenly spoke next to him. He turned around with a slight flinch, but stood his ground as Vaati glowered at him from beneath his hood.

"What do you want? I've been wandering this market all day long in this hideous daylight with nothing to do." Vaati's eyes suddenly flashed with anger, but he remained ominously cool.

"I've given you your assignment. Head back to the castle and kill the Hero of Time."

"I'll kill him when I feel like it." The shadow folded his arms and resumed his leaning against the wall. Vaati continued his icy stare, holding in his desire to rid of his creation right that moment.

"You are not capable of feeling. As was proven this morning when you locked lips with that woman..." Vaati grinned and disappeared, just as Dark Link threw a punch his way. How dare he? He just ruined his mood.

He turned with scowl and headed towards the castle. He had feeling enough to hate his living counterpart and want to cause him as much misery as possible. The sun was sinking fast now, and the oncoming darkness was like a breath of fresh air as it revived him and gave him the energy he needed to quicken his pace towards the castle grounds. A guard standing near the entrance nodded his head to him with a friendly smile.

"'Evening, Link! I believe the boy Raiquen was looking for you. Would you like me to-"

"Got it. Get back to your post." The shadow growled. Dark Link didn't look back as he walked quickly towards the castle, thinking of how best he could carry out his job.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

I am SO SORRY for not uploading any new chapters! Clairictures and I had both become very busy within the last year and neglected writing more of the story. We've begun writing again though, so we'll get more chapters up more often. You can expect another chapter within the next few days. We actually have a few chapters finished, but I'm reviewing them for mistakes first. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Where boredom comes, laziness follows. And Link was definitely in one of those situations. He sat, quite lazily in the castle library, reading up on the history of Hyrule until his peace-and-quiet suddenly shattered.

"LINK?! WHERE ARE YOU?" A younger male voice bellowed. Raiquen burst into the room, causing papers to fly everywhere. Link looked up at the fuming boy.

"Raiquen? What--"

"Who do you THINK you are?" Link opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off. "Why would you take my most treasured keepsake and throw it around like a rag-doll?" Raiquen now held up his father's cape, his most treasure possession, all dirty with soot and grime. Link blinked and put his book carefully on the table then stood up calmly. As much as he didn't like that cape, he knew what it meant to the boy.

"Raiquen, you know I would never do such a thing. Why would you assume it was me?

Raiquen was still glaring. "Because I saw you walk out of my room! I called out your name, then you ran here." He folded the cape quickly around his hands while Link furrowed his brow.

"But I've been in here for hours, how could I have just ran suddenly here?"

"I don't know, but I saw you run here. Don't touch the cape again, got it?" Raiquen turned away from him and stormed away from the library. Link reached out to stop him, but felt a chill race down his spine. He shivered and shook his head. He wasn't sure what it was, but something has been going amiss lately, and it always involved him. Just the other day he was yelled at for 'stuffing oranges in the Royal pillow', and he knows he didn't do anything like that. He sat back in his chair and propped his head on his fist.

"I almost wish he didn't have that cape though..." He mumbled to himself as he looked at the mess of parchment on the floor. With a grudge, he stood up to clean up the mess.

Aidyn's little head poked around the corner of the door. "Daddy?" He looked up and felt happy again at seeing her as she came walking slowly towards him.

"Hey there, Aidyn. It's late, shouldn't you be in bed?" She fiddled with her fingers.

"Are you still mad at me?" This threw him completely off guard.

"What? Why would I be mad at you?" He picked her up as she looked down.

"I didn't mean to run into you in the market, and I know you told me never to go there alone. I didn't listen to you. Is that why you yelled at me?" Link was now beginning to grow angry at himself for not knowing what was going on.

"In the market..? No, no sweetie. I'm not mad, and I never was. I'm sorry if you've been upset." By who knows what, he thought.

Aidyn seemed comforted by his soft voice and sighed as he picked her up and carried her to her room. Link had questions buzzing around in his head, but he kept quiet as he put her to bed. "Goodnight Aidyn," he said as he stood in the doorway, "Sleep tight."

"Goodnight, Daddy.'Love you..." She trailed off to sleep as he shut the door with a smile. However, he was still puzzled as to why trouble seemed to be dogging him as of late, and he was soon frowning as he walked the corridor. At least Lear will be in a good mood, he thought, because I've done nothing today to cause her to be upset.

He pushed the door open to his room and looked inside. The only light he could see was a faint glow from the candle on the nightstand.

"Lear? Are you sleeping?" The only answer he received was a sniffle from his wife, and he rushed to her form, sitting on the floor with her head against the sheets.

"...Lear? What is it? What's wrong?"

"Link...I just don't understand...why are you being so distant? Y-you've never been like this before..." Link caressed her cheek and looked at her in sheer confusion. He opened his mouth to speak, but he was at loss for words. What is going on around here, and why didn't he know about it? He looked at the ground for a moment, then back to her.

"Lear, I'm sorry. Really, I am. I...I don't know what's going on, but I'm going to put it right." She nodded at stood up to walk away, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry that I've hurt you." He whispered and kissed her on the forehead. She hugged him back and shook with a slight sob before she quieted and walked to bed. Link made a vow for the following morning that he would figure out what was going on and set it right.

* * *

Two shadows lurked in the castle courtyard. One cloaked by shadows, and the other basked in the moonlight.

"Finally...tonight we shall collect what we've needed for our task..." Vaati laughed darkly.

"Which is...?"

"You'll know what they're for, in time." Vaati turned to Dark Link with a glare. "If you don't drop that bloody orange, I swear to you, 'Link', that you will regret it." he hissed. The shadow twitched as his eyes flared red. But they turned an icy blue once again as he spoke with a note of sarcasm.

"I stole it, doesn't that make you proud?" Vaati scoffed and started walking towards the castle.

"What will make me proud is if you steal what I tell you to steal. Quit wasting your time stealing from peasants and let's work on stealing something worth our time." Dark Link dropped the orange and followed him into the entrance of the castle, darkened by the night. He sighed and relaxed in the velvet coolness and almost felt cheerful, if he had been able to feel such a thing.

"I don't understand why you don't let me handle the job. I have a thorough knowledge of all of his swordsmanship, and I'm confident that I could easily defeat him in a duel."

Vaati lowered his voice. "Knowledge you may have...but it doesn't save you from the light. The only thing you can do right now is make his life miserable, just as I ordered in the first place." Dark Link grumbled and continued to follow his master. They crept in silence until Vaati stopped dead in his tracks at an oak door. The shadow would've questioned him, but only watched as he unlocked the door with his magic.

"Go in that room and fetch the cape from the chest. Don't wake the boy." Dark Link reduced himself to a meer shadow and slunk into the room. He knew exactly where the cape was, as he had used it to arouse anger in the boy earlier that day. It would be his pleasure to steal it in interest to see his reaction the following day!

Backing out of the door with his prize, he looked around for Vaati. He was already in the next corridor and waving impatiently at the shadow to follow him. Dark Link rolled his eyes. "It's going to be a long night..." He said to himself as he ran after Vaati. He looked in the rooms as they passed them, and did a double-take as he skidded to a stop in front of the Royal Library.

"Ohohoho! Treasured knowledge, hm? Well, let's see how they get along with none at all." With a snap of his fingers, the ancient books that had resided in Hyrule's library over the years disappeared. The histories, stories, songs, scripture, all vanished. "And best of all," he said with a sneer, "the legends." The books containing the legends of the Hero of Time disappeared just as the other volumes had. They were not completely destroyed. Dark Link knew where they were hidden.

"Ah...something's missing here..." Dark Link mused. He grinned wide as he snapped his fingers. "Let's see how they'll fair...I'm not certain it's possible to read oranges." he laughed as he finally made his way to the end of the hallway. His master picked up the pace as he grew closer to what he desired most. Dark power.

"Master, we have what we need. Why do we distract ourselves?" Vaati shushed him as he unlocked the door. "She will be an added prize..." His boots made no sound as he strode into the bedroom.

"...Begonia Dragmire...shadow wielder…and widow..." Vaati mumbled as he looked at the sleeping form. She had a look of content on her features and she smiled.

"Master...?"

"Ssh! She's dreaming..." Vaati's hand hovered over her forehead and he closed his eyes.

_He watched her dream unfold, pulling her past memories into her mind. He watched as she walked down a hallway, pushing open a large oak door. He heard organ music and the soft boom of the large door closing behind her. She walked to the other end of the room where she wrapped her arms around the thick neck of the organist, and he turned to her… _Vaati opened his eyes and looked to his creation.

"Take the woman. She's coming with us." Dark Link looked at him like he was mad.

"Why do we need _her?_ Master, she would only cause problems." he huffed. Vaati smirked.

"Fine. Then I will take her dreams instead."

He let his hand hover over her forehead and collect the dream as it floated up to his outstretched fingers, like soft smoke from a dead fire. Dark Link had no idea why Vaati would be so interested in this woman all of a sudden, but he didn't like standing around doing nothing.

"C'mon, let's get out of here. I've had enough of this." Vaati hesitated for a second, then quickly and quietly strolled out the door with Dark Link following behind.

"What was that about? I thought we were after Link, not some lady with nostalgic dreams!"

"Silence," Vaati whispered, "We'll need her later, but her dreams will have to do for now. I suppose it's time we left; we've collected enough for one night." Dark Link felt an anger rise up in him.

He decided against questioning his master further, even though he wanted to know the reasoning behind his actions. They escaped through the night, successfully pursuing their task without detection, and the shadow watched his master fade away into the dark field of Hyrule. All that was left to do was to wait for the dreaded dawn.

* * *

(Author's Notes)

Sorry for such a long hiatus! I feel terrible for neglecting this story. Clairictures and I haven't had as many opportunities to write this story, but I will continue it on my own if I must.

If you check my profile, you can find the link to my DeviantArt page where I have posted some artwork pertaining to this trilogy. Please take a look, and please review!


End file.
